Insulated concrete forms (ICF) are known as part of a wall building system, often for below-grade foundation wall, for providing both the forming for the concrete pours and insulation. Hollow, rigid, polystyrene blocks are offset, dry-stacked to form walls with a chase for receiving concrete. The blocks are manufactured of polystyrene walls, spaced apart and secured together using plastic ladder-like ties. The block walls require supports or bracing during the concrete pour to plumb the walls to vertical and minimize bowing of the walls under hydraulics during filling. The bracing can also be used to provide catwalk or walkways for installer access.
Conventional scaffolding such as that with tele-posts and cross bracing is expensive and must be adapted for ICF. Therefore, there has been various ICF-specific bracing systems developed. Among such systems are those as set forth in US 2014/0166849 A1 to Fearn and U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,188 to Bollinger et al.
Applicant has found that while such systems are improved over adaptation of conventional scaffolding, there are still costs and installation hurdles that limit their acceptance in the industry.